Testing and Evaluating Software Solutions Live Test Data

Why Live Test Data? the use of live test data ensures that the testing environment accurately reflects the expected environment in which the new system will operate Are we still achieving our initial objectives?

Conditions to Test Large file sizes Mix of transaction types Response times Volume of data (load testing) Interfaces between modules and programs

Large File Sizes Highlight problems associated with data access Systems can perform at unacceptable speeds when accessing large files (particularly for network access) Large data files highlight aspects of code that are inefficient or are processor extensive – this is problematic if the processor is awaiting system resources to become available

Mix of Transaction Types Testing for modules and programs is strategic in that specific transactions are tested one at time System testing requires us to ensure that transactions occurring in a random order do not cause unforeseeable issues

Response Times The time taken for a process to complete, these may be higher when using live test data Should be tested on the minimum hardware requirements with any interfacing applications operating under normal or heavy loads Any processes that are likely to take longer than a second should provide user feedback, i.e. progress bar, update-mouse pointer to buffer wheel etc.

Volume of Data (Load Testing) Large amounts of data should be entered into the new system to test the performance of the application under extreme conditions CASE tools can be used to simulate the input of thousands of users simultaneously

Interfaces between modules and programs Tests and test data need to be created to analyse the interaction (interfacing) between different software components of the system Tests should examine the accuracy of data being passed as well as response times and the ability of the interface to cope with large files, different transaction types and large volumes of data

Things to consider: What effect does the new system have on the existing systems in the environment it is installed into? And vice-versa, does the existing system have an unexpected effect on the new system?

Readings and Activities Read pages of the textbook Complete Question 12 on page 246 of the textbook